"Embracing the trendy New York architectural scene, we're eager to settle into this chic office space"

Michael K Chen Architecture Expands New York Office

Michael K Chen Architecture (MKCA) has recently expanded its New York office, creating a revamped space that reflects the firm's guiding tenets of future-facing craft, civic responsibility, site-responsivity, and collaboration.

The expanded office now accommodates nine staff members and features a lounge, a stone-topped kitchen counter that doubles as a cocktail bar, and a lavender accent wall. The walls are painted in a pale purple tone, and some artworks hung on the walls are by studio members, while others are by Chen's contemporaries in New York's architecture and design scene.

There are nods to MKCA's past work, such as a salmon-pink wall that references a sophisticated loft residence in Manhattan. Shelving towards the rear of the conference room is filled with pristine presentation models, design awards, and prototypes, resonating with MKCA's deft use of layered geometry.

MKCA was established in 2011, and when it was first founded, it occupied a shared Tribeca studio. After a fire destroyed everything in their previous office in 2017, MKCA moved to a prewar building in NoMad.

Michael K Chen, the firm's founder, stated that in their projects, they tend to decorate with stories and relationships. This approach is evident in the expanded office, which showcases the firm's unique aesthetic and philosophy.

Chen also helped establish Design Advocates, an initiative that pulls together expertise and resources from various firms to carry out solutions-oriented interventions for the wider community. Design Advocates was established during the Covid pandemic.

The initiative, Design Advocates, was not an exercise in business development, according to Chen. Instead, it aims to make the vast knowledge that architects possess more accessible to others.

In addition to the expanded office, MKCA has also released a new book, Making and Meeting, which is intended to help bridge the informational gap and promote more responsible practices. The book is formatted as an 'anti-monograph cookbook', broken down into five actionable chapters.

Making and Meeting articulates Michael K Chen's vision of future craft, as outlined in the first chapter of the book. Chen emphasises the importance of collaboration and the need to create spaces that are responsive to their sites and that embody a sense of civic responsibility.

Overall, the expanded office and the release of Making and Meeting mark a significant milestone for MKCA and demonstrate the firm's commitment to pushing the boundaries of architectural design and promoting responsible practices.